Emperor! Can You See Stats!?

Chapter 169: The Second Night

Meanwhile, the situation in the palace was not very good.

Emperor Ju Yug-yeom had a displeased expression on his face.

“How long do I have to stay here?”

“I apologize, Your Majesty, but I think it is best for you to stay in a safe place until the culprit who attacked your residence is revealed.”

“Hmm…”

Ju Yug-yeom wanted to ask Eurius personally why he came to his residence yesterday, but Yeosang did not let him. 

He seemed to intend to keep him half-imprisoned until the culprit was caught.

‘Yeosang… Isn’t this too much?’

He had a close relationship with him since childhood, but Yeosang’s attitude was excessive lately. 

He also did not like the warriors who were brought as guards.

“Who are these people? They don’t seem to be your acquaintances.”

“They are the ones I personally trained. They are skilled enough to stop anyone who tries to intrude, even if they are martial arts experts like yesterday.”

“Hmm…”

The people Ju Yug-yeom pointed at were wearing the royal gold army’s uniforms for convenience, but they emitted a sinister aura.

“Greetings, Your Majesty. It is an infinite honor for us to serve as your guards for a while.”

The leader of them had a strange voice and covered half of his face with a hood, making him look more suspicious. 

They did not look like they belonged to the gold army’s etiquette.

‘I wonder who is the emperor here, me or him.’

Ju Yug-yeom let Yeosang go because he had a relationship with him since childhood and he did not act beyond his status as a subject.

But now, the situation was precarious!

However, Ju Yug-yeom did not show his emotions outwardly.

“I appreciate your efforts. I hope you catch the culprit soon, Yeosang.”

“Of course! Please trust me, Your Majesty.”

Yeosang had a confident expression. 

As long as the emperor was here, there was no one in the palace who could stop him.

‘I’ll pretend to look for a few days and make some plausible evidence. And then I’ll pin it on that crown prince.’

Of course, it was risky to accuse a foreigner without any evidence, but he had a trump card to do so.

***

“Sniff… Have you still not made up your mind?”

“…”

Leonhardt remained silent in the small room.

Yeosang’s proposal to him was as follows:

“You want me to accuse my brother to the emperor here?”

“Yes. If you agree, I’ll make sure that crown prince disappears from this world.”

He looked at Yeosang who tried to persuade him with a subtle tone and turned his head sharply.

“That’s absurd!”

“Huh?”

“I won’t cooperate. Do whatever you want.”

He refused the proposal, but he did not get angry either. 

Yeosang narrowed his eyes and pondered over his ambiguous response.

‘Wasn’t their relationship very bad? Is that not true?’

Anyway, if he did not help him, the plan to frame Eurius with Leonhardt’s testimony would fail.

The testimony of a prisoner was not credible because no one knew how it was obtained. 

The current emperor Ju Yug-yeom was a person who had a clear judgment and would not be swayed by such testimony.

“I don’t understand why you are rejecting this good opportunity, Your Highness.”

If Eurius died in another country, the throne of Scharnos Empire would naturally go to him.

“…”

“I think I need to give you some more time. But I won’t wait long, so please keep that in mind…”

Slam.

“Stupid! Do you think I’ll fall for such a trick?”

As soon as the door closed, Leonhardt spat out a word.

‘Of course, it would be nice if my brother died here.’

But how could he believe that? 

The Eurius he knew was weak but a cunning snake.

‘Hmph! Do you think that shady eunuch can deal with my brother?’

Besides, Leonhardt thought there was no need for him to intervene even if that happened. 

Judging by his attempt to involve him, he must have prepared another plan. 

It would be great if he succeeded, but even if he failed, his situation would not change from now.

‘And!’

Lastly, Leonhardt could not trust Yeosang. 

He had a keen sense since he was young.

‘He definitely wants something from me.’

Yeosang’s eyes when he looked at him were not good. 

He had been staring at him with a sticky gaze since before Eurius came to this continent.

“Heh… Do I have to find another way to get rid of that crown prince? I should consult with the people sent from the main sect.”

As Leonhardt expected, Yeosang licked his lips and left the palace where he was imprisoned.

***

And that night.

Ju Yug-yeom couldn’t sleep all night and tossed and turned. 

It was because he couldn’t get rid of what Eurius had said yesterday.

[Act like an emperor the next time we meet.]

‘And he said he would visit again?’

Would that be tonight or tomorrow night? 

How could he sleep when he didn’t know?

‘He should at least tell me when he’s coming… Hm?’

He felt a faint presence outside the door as he grumbled to himself and jumped up.

Thump thump.

‘What is it, are they here?’

Ju Yug-yeom snorted. 

The presence was from the people that Yeosang had brought. 

They had a strange and unfamiliar aura, so he reacted sensitively.

But the next moment! Something happened that he never expected.

Creak.

The door opened quietly and one of the guards who had been guarding him came in.

“…!?”

“I greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”

Ju Yug-yeom stared at him with a flustered expression. 

Now that he looked, he was the one who had been introduced as the leader of the new escort.

“Who are you?”

“…”

Swoosh.

He silently pulled off the hood that covered his face. 

And the face that was revealed was quite beautiful. 

No, it was not a man’s face.

Ju Yug-yeom made a puzzled expression and wondered to himself.

‘A woman?’

But something was strange. T

he woman who had been wearing the hood opened her mouth in a quiet voice.

“Your Majesty… don’t you remember me?”

“Me?”

“I used to visit you often with your father until ten years ago.”

“Huh… ten years ago?”

He tilted his head. 

Wasn’t that when he had just ascended to the throne?

“I am Gung jeok-yeong, a descendant of the leader of Imperial Star Intelligence.”

“Huh?”

Ju Yug-yeom was greatly surprised by her words. 

Imperial Star Intelligence was the emperor’s direct intelligence agency that existed until ten years ago with Eastern Depot (Dongchang).

But the reason why she mentioned ten years ago as a clue was because Imperial Star Intelligence itself had disappeared.

[The Rebellion of the General]

It was a conspiracy that occurred shortly after he ascended to the throne. 

Imperial Star Intelligence, which had been close to the generals of Geumgun who were involved in this incident, lost most of its members by being beheaded or exiled.

“Huh…”

Ju Yug-yeom’s face lost some color as he remembered that.

‘We were the ones who got rid of them.’

He and Yeosang had supported the Hwanguans in their power struggle with Geumgun. 

At that time, he was too young to make a proper judgment.

“Is that why… you came to take revenge?”

Thud!

“No way!”

But Gung jeok-yeong knelt down and bowed her head.

“I have never forgotten my loyalty to the royal family. Even though Imperial Star Intelligence disappeared by your order, we were also at fault for not serving you properly.”

“…!?”

Ju Yug-yeom became serious at her words. 

It was because of what she shouted as she bowed her head.

“You didn’t serve me properly? Do you mean you were wronged?”

“Your Majesty.”

“I’ll listen to what you have to say first.”

And what Gung jeok-yeong said was shocking to him.

“The current leader of Dongchang, Yeosang, is colluding with Magyo to harm Your Majesty!”

“Me?”

Ju Yug-yeom’s face turned pale.

He didn’t like his behavior lately, but wasn’t Yeosang his favorite servant?

“Do you have any evidence that this is not a slander?”

Swoosh.

She took out a black jade plaque from her bosom and showed it to the emperor.

“What is this?”

“This is a plaque that symbolizes the vice-leader of Magyo.”

“…!?”

“This is the most conclusive evidence. The people who are guarding you now are disguised as Geumgun’s experts, but they are all from Magyo.”

“Magyo!”

Gung jeok-yeong began to explain the situation slowly.

“After the Huangsung Temple was destroyed by the Windstorm Sect, I joined the Dark Sect.”

“Heh…”

Ju Yugeom listened to her story with a cold eye at first, but at the end, he trembled with a sense of betrayal towards Yeosang.

‘How could he have such a plan?’

Of course, Yeosang’s plan was to kill Eurius, not to harm the emperor. But now that there was clear evidence that he had brought a member of the Dark Sect into the palace, he had no choice but to believe Gungjeokyeong’s words.

The Dark Sect was a group of evil people who were forbidden by the law of the Hwan Empire. 

They had a bad reputation among the common people.

Bang!

He slammed his desk with force and his face was full of anger.

“I trusted him even when I heard rumors that he abused his power. But he stabbed me in the back like this…”

The more trust was solidified, the more betrayal was felt when it was broken. 

He had already felt that his tyranny was too much lately, but this time Yeosang’s actions completely crossed the line that he could tolerate.

Of course, he didn’t fully believe Gung jeok-yeong’s words, who he met for the first time.

‘Maybe it’s not true that he wants to harm me! But even if he conspired with an unknown group without consulting me, the emperor, he has already committed treason!’

The Eastern Depot (Dongchang) was an organization that was like the emperor’s limbs. But if the leader of that place joined hands with an external force, it was a serious crime equivalent to rebellion!

Ju Yugeom wanted to arrest Yeosang and interrogate him right away.

‘But how do I question him?’

He also knew that Yeosang was the best master in the imperial palace. 

He doubted that he would obediently surrender even if he mobilized the imperial army to capture him.

That’s when Gung jeok-yeong, who had been watching him quietly, opened her mouth.

“Your Majesty… I’m sorry, but may I speak?”

“You?”

“Yeosang is a very outstanding master. It’s hard to catch him with ordinary methods. I also have a hard time catching him if he decides to run away.”

“Is that so?”

“Besides, he has the power of the Dark Sect behind him. If you’re not careful, there could be a lot of bloodshed in the palace.”

“Heh…”

“So what I want to suggest is…”

She spoke in a cautious tone.

“How about joining hands with the crown prince of the Western Continent on this occasion?”

“…!?”

‘Remembering!’

Ju Yugeom recalled Eurius, who easily knocked down the masters of Dongchang like scarecrows.

***

At that moment.

‘Isn’t it time to come?’

Eurius was waiting for someone in his quarters. 

The plan for Gung jeok-yeong to persuade the emperor came from his head.

Then where were the other members of the Dark Sect?

“Your Highness, the crown prince of the Western Continent! There is someone looking for you.”

“Me?”

Eurius pretended to be surprised and walked out of his room. 

Outside, there were people dressed in imperial army uniforms waiting for him.

“By His Majesty’s order, we have something to investigate, so please follow us.”

They pushed a decree with the emperor’s seal on it, so even the Eastern Depot (Dongchang) people who were watching Eurius obediently let him go.

“If it’s His Majesty’s order, I can’t refuse.”

It was a great rudeness to summon a foreign royal at night, but Eurius surprisingly followed them willingly.

“But where do I get investigated?”

“You’ll find out when you follow us.”

They only urged Eurius’s footsteps with a stiff voice.

A few minutes later.

Eurius and they were heading to a remote place even within the palace.

Thud thud.

The ones who claimed to be from the imperial army were silent and Eurius also walked silently, so it was quiet except for the sound of footsteps.

Clack!

“…”

At some point, the sound of footsteps stopped abruptly. 

Eurius suddenly stopped walking.

“What’s wrong?”

One of them asked Eurius with an expressionless face.

“Haven’t we come far enough?”

“What do you mean…”

Eurius smiled faintly.

“Aren’t you here to get rid of me? Hurry up and start.”

“…!?”

Whoosh!

They quickly distanced themselves from Eurius.

Clang!

Clash!

The swords they drew reflected in the moonlight and sparkled.

At the same time, a suffocating demonic energy rose up! 

They were none other than the masters of the Dark Sect who were sent to eliminate Eurius.

“…”

Eurius looked around at those who surrounded him. But soon he tilted his head with a puzzled expression.

‘Surely they are great elites… but where are the ones with divine skills?’